Weapon Child
by Paradox Predator
Summary: AU from X2. What if when Stryker said that Wolverine wasn't one of a kind, he didn't mean Lady Deathstrike? Meet Weapon X-23, a girl with an axe to grind against Logan, and the rest of the world. When she's brought back to the Xavier Institute, only one thing is certain- Nothing will ever be the same again.
1. Chapter 1

XXIII

By Paradox Predator

…

Chapter One

A Child is not a Weapon

"_Mutation. It is the key to our evolution. Usually this process is slow; sometimes taking thousands of years. But once every few millennia, evolution leaps forward."_

_~Prof. Charles Xavier_

…

_Alkali Lake Military Compound, 2012_

Logan entered a dark room, his nose pricked to the scent of one Colonel William Stryker, and his ears to the sound of bubbling. Turning a corner, he saw a vat of metallic liquid being slowly mixed. It gave off a tang that made the mutant wrinkle his extra-sensitive nostrils.

"There's a tricky thing about adamantium." Logan whirled around to see Stryker walk into the room, his ever-present assistant, Yuriko, in tow. "If you ever manage to get it in its raw, liquid form, you gotta keep it that way," the Colonel continued. "Keep it hot. Because once the metal cools, it's indestructible." He stopped in front of a long, low, metal box. A small window fogged with ice decorated the top. "But you already knew that."

Logan, the Wolverine, growled slightly, acknowledging what the man had done to him. "So, what now?" he asked. "You gonna have her," he nodded towards Yuriko, who was flexing her hands oddly, "kill me with whatever power she's got?"

Stryker ignored his question. "I used to think you were one of a kind, Wolverine," he said, pulling a lever on the box. It gave out a hiss and began opening slowly. "I was wrong."

"What the hell are you talking about, bub?" Logan demanded. "What do you got in there, huh?"

"Explain to him, Yuriko," Stryker said, walking to the door. "I have things to do."

Logan went after him, only to be blocked by Yuriko, who had somehow grown long, adamantium claws from her fingers. "I have been ordered to explain to you," she said blankly. "You will listen, Weapon X."

_Snikt._ "You really think so?" asked Logan, his own claws extended. "Well, maybe I have stuff to do, too." He stepped forward, lifting his claws into a defensive posture. "Let me through."

Yuriko spread her talons, but at that moment, the box, a stasis chamber, announced that it had opened fully with a clang. Yuriko hurried over to it and began to press buttons and turn knobs on the side.

"Weapon X-23 is ready for deployment," she said. Reaching into the stasis chamber, she slid out a slab with what appeared to be a fourteen-year-old girl lying on it. "This is the legacy of the Wolverine."

In a moment, the Wolverine's claws were at her throat. "I have had it with the dramatics," he snarled. "You tell me what's going on right now, or I give you a second breathing hole, understand? Who is this girl? What's Weapon X, and why is she the twenty-third one?"

"Weapon X, also known as Weapon Ten, was subject James Logan Howlett, also known as the Wolverine," Yuriko said calmly. "He was succeeded by Weapon XI, Wade Wilson, and Weapon XII, Lady Deathstryke." She paused for a moment. "I am Lady Deathstryke."

"And the girl?" asked Logan, glancing at her. "If Weapon X- If _I _was replaced, then why is she X-23?" He pushed Deathstryke against the wall. "Tell me!"

"Weapon X was deemed the most successful experiment!" Yuriko gasped, as Wolverine's claws dug into her neck. "After I was considered a failure, the decision was made to try and clone you! They started with X-2!"

"And why is she the twenty-third?" Logan demanded. "They kill the others? And why is she a girl, if she's my clone?"

"The first nine were males," Lady Deathstryke explained. "They were non-viable due to damage to the Y-chromosome in the tissue sample they took from you. After that, they replaced it with a second X-chromosome. Then it was a simple matter of which ones survived the training. Weapon X-23 is the only one to have done so."

"If she's your perfect weapon, then why show me?" Wolverine asked. "Isn't there some chance that I might mess it up?"

For the first time, a smile slid over Yuriko's face. "She's always wanted to meet you, Logan," she said.

"Why's that?" Logan asked a split second before he heard a '_snikt!' _and felt adamantium claws puncture his lungs.

"I wanted to meet you so that I could kill you!" X-23, now fully awake, hissed into his ear. "It is all your fault, _Weapon X!_ It is your fault I'm here!"

…

TBC

AN: This is a trial chapter. If anyone likes it, I'll post more. Notes about what the heck I was thinking will come with the next chapter.

Please Review. Con-crit is greatly appreciated.

-Paradox


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

But Give it Time

…

Logan gasped for breath, but his lungs were torn. He coughed, and Yuriko flinched as blood landed on her cheek.

"I hate you!" X-23 continued her monologue of invective with her claws buried knuckle-deep in her progenitor's back. "You should never have left Weapon X!"

Choking, the Wolverine pushed his head back sharply. There was a _'clank!' _as his adamantium skull connected with X-23's jaw. The girl let out a sharp yelp and Logan felt her claws retract from his back. He quickly rolled away from her and held his own claws in a defensive position while he waited for his lungs to heal.

As X-23 stepped towards him, Wolverine noticed that unlike him, she had only two claws on each hand. These were coated with the same indestructible metal as Logan's, and if he had to guess, he would say that her entire skeleton probably was as well.

"Jeez, you're just a kid," he said, horrified.

"I am old enough to kill you!" the girl spat, launching a high round kick towards Logan's face. Wolverine caught it before it hit, but dropped her quickly when another claw shot out from a slot in her boot and gashed his cheek.

"So," he muttered, retracting his claws and fending off a series of blows, "that's where the other claw went." X-23 slashed at him with both sets of hand-claws at once, and Logan grabbed her wrists. "You finished with this game, darling?" he asked. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lady Deathstryke leaving the room. "Looks like your friend ran out on ya," he taunted.

"She is not my friend!" the girl howled, attempting to kick Wolverine in the shins. "I do not have any friends! I am alone!"

"Not any more, ya ain't," Logan said. With one swift movement, he let go of one of her hands and punched her in the temple, knocking her out. "Sorry, kid," he said, popping his claws and cutting some steel pipes from the wall. "I had to do that."

Carefully heating the pipes over the vat of liquid adamantium, Logan bent them around X-23 until she would not be able to move, that done, he picked her up and hoisted her over his shoulder. The sudden motion made her wake up with a small gasp, after which she went quiet again, slumping against Logan's back.

Logan guessed that she was probably trying to lull him into a false sense of security, as well as figure out how to loosen her steel bonds, but decided not to say anything, and continued to the rendezvous point to meet the other X-Men.

…

TBC

AN: I promised you notes. They're right down there. Sorry for the short chapter. They get longer from here. Besides, any more on this chapter would have just been a rehash of the end of X2, which I'm leaving intact. We don't need that, right? Trust me; it'll be better to pick up when they get back to the Institute.

I always wished that X-23 had been in one of the movies. Obviously, it was impossible for her to have appeared in X2, since 2003 was the year she debuted in X-Men: Evolution (XME), but that's what fanfiction's for, right?

I made it 2012 since the movies take place 'In the Not-so-Distant Future', and I figure that 2012 could be the not-so-distant future from 2003. Besides, it allows me to write what I know.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (XMOW) is partly canon for this. My Deadpool (if he shows up) will be somewhat different from the one at the end of the movie. Also, he will have a mouth.

Please review.

-Paradox


	3. Chapter 3

Careful. Did you read chapter two? I'm posting this with it because chapter two is so short, but it has the first real fight scene I've ever written and I'm very proud. Please go back and read it if you haven't already.

Chapter Three

Captive, Bound, and Double-Ironed

…

Jean Grey dead, the President assured that Kurt Wagner's attack on him was a misunderstanding, and Weapon X gone for the next few years.

If you had spoken the above sentence to Scott Summers and Logan, the only part of it that they would have noticed was 'Jean Grey dead'. The whole school was in mourning. Logan would have been as well, but he had something more important on his mind.

What to do with X-23?

But let's step back a little.

…

_Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters_

The basketball court opened up to let the Blackbird land in the hangar below. Logan waited for Scott and Storm to remove the children and Professor Xavier before standing up and hoisting a possum-playing X-23, still wrapped in steel pipes, over his shoulder. "After you, bub," he said, gesturing to Kurt that he could leave the aircraft. "You're gonna love this place. Bet ya ain't seen anything like it before."

"I am sure I have not, _Herr _Logan," Kurt said, his tail flicking about. "Er, would you tell me, is there anyone at the school with mutations like..?" He let his sentence trail off.

"Well," Logan scratched the back of his neck. "I haven't been there very much, actually. I kinda ran off after I checked the ki- after I checked Rogue in. But I think you might be one of the odder people out there."

"_Danke," _Kurt said sarcastically, baring his fangs. "I do enjoy being odd." He turned to go and Logan stopped him with a hand on one shoulder.

"Listen, Elf," he said. "I didn't mean that. And uh…" he shifted from foot to foot, rebalancing the girl over his shoulder. "Thanks for gettin' Chuck outta there."

_"Bitteschoen," _said Kurt. He turned his head to look at Logan behind. "And by the way, I…_Ich bin Traurig. _I'm sorry for your loss. May God help you through these trying times." There was a soft _'bamf' _and a curl of black smoke mixed with the scent of brimstone. X-23 twitched on Logan's shoulder, reminding him of what he had to do.

As he left the X-Jet, he heard someone yelling his name.

"Hey, Mr. Logan!" they called. "You, with the kid! Wolverine!" a blonde teenage girl in a short skirt ran up to him and stuck her hand out. "Hi," she said. "My name's Tabby Smith."

Logan awkwardly shook Tabby's hand. "Hi, Tabby," he said. "You need me for something?"

"Yeah, I do. Where's John?" she asked. "Ms. Munroe, Mr. Summers and the Professor won't tell me where John or Ms. Grey are. Do you know? And who's that new guy?" She pointed to Kurt, who was entertaining some younger children by letting them play with his tail.

Sighing, Logan began walking towards the door. "Get the students together and have them meet me in the Danger Room. Storm 'n' I'll be there to tell you everything."

Tabby snatched at Logan as he passed her. "Wolverine," she said, looking into his eyes pleadingly. "Please tell me. I'm John's girlfriend."

"Aw, hell," Logan groaned. "Listen. John ran off with Magneto. You know who he is, right? The guy with the helmet who tried to trash the UN Summit last year?"

"Yeah, I know," Tabby said, her voice beginning to crack. "I just…" She looked at the ground, then back at Logan. "He would joke about joining the Brotherhood- about actually doing something to help mutants. I guess, I just never thought he would really…" She looked back at the ground. "I'll get the others in the Danger Room, sir." Tabby ran off, and Logan could smell tears in the air.

"She was weak," he heard X-23 say from over his shoulder.

"Well," Logan said, "look who finally decided to speak up. Figured out how to get out o' that yet?" As he spoke, he walked through the hangar, into the mansion, tracking Storm.

"Not yet," said X-23. "But you cannot keep me in these pipes forever, and when you remove them, I will kill you, Weapon X."

"You can try," said Wolverine, "but it'll take a lot to put me down." He arrived at the door of Professor Xavier's office and knocked. "Oh," he said to X-23, "and stop callin' me Weapon X. It makes me uncomfortable."

Ororo Munroe opened the door. "Oh, hello, Logan," she said. "We were wondering where you were. Please, come in." She walked back into the office, leaving the door open.

Logan stepped inside and put a quietly growling X-23 down on a chair before turning and closing the door. Turning back, he surveyed the people in the room. Rogue and Bobby looked okay, if quiet. Storm was sad-looking, the Professor was as unreadable as ever, and Scott- Was Cyclops _crying?_

"Get weepy on your own time, bub," Logan said. "We have to debrief the kids and the Elf right now."

Scott looked up at him, expression unreadable behind his visor. "Do you have a heart?" he asked. "My fiancée just died, and you want to have a debriefing?"

"This is your leader?" X-23's voice came incredulously from behind Logan. "This is the man whom you follow? He has no sense of duty! How can he lead if he cannot put aside his emotions-"

"Because I'm not a cloned weapon like you!" exploded Cyclops, one hand going to his visor in preparation to fire. Immediately, Ororo was at his side, clasping his hand.

"Please, Scott," she said. "The girl is right, in a way. There will be a time to mourn, but you have students who are frightened. Whose home was attacked in the middle of the night. They deserve to know what's going on."

Scott took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. When he lowered his hand, Logan could tell by the set of his jaw that he felt determined again. "Alright," he said. "Get the students together for a debriefing."

"Already done," Logan said. "They should be waiting in the Danger Room."

"Thanks," said Scott, before turning to Ororo. "And thank you, Storm. I needed that." He took another deep breath and began walking to the door. "Let's go." He stopped and turned slightly. "Oh, and Logan?"

Logan grunted in acknowledgment.

"There are some handcuffs and leg-irons in the Danger Room, just in case we ever took prisoners. I'd suggest Sabretooth-strength ones for your kid." With that, Scott left the room with Ororo close behind.

"Hey, wait! She ain't my- Oh, forget it," Logan said bemusedly before turning to Professor Xavier. "What about you, Chuck? You've been awfully quiet over there."

"Hmm?" asked Xavier, sitting up a little straighter. "I apologize, Logan. My thoughts were elsewhere. Might I suggest you do something with your young captive? Her thoughts are slightly disturbing." Having finished speaking, he turned to the window and grew silent.

"All right," Logan said. Walking over to the chair holding X-23, he picked her up again despite her wriggling, and carried her out.

…

In the Danger Room, Scott and Ororo were explaining what had happened to the assembled students when Logan walked in. As usual, he had to make an entrance, and everyone turned to look at him, carrying X-23 over his shoulder.

"Who's that?" he heard someone ask.

"Uh, that's the Wolverine," someone else answered. "You know? He helped take down Magneto last summer?"

"Not him, the girl!"

"She smells exactly like him tae me," a Scottish burr said. "Maybe she's his kid?"

Reaching the front of the room, which had been set to look like an auditorium, Logan was handed a set of cuffs by Ororo. Nodding his thanks, he put X-23 down and knelt next to her.

"I'm gonna cut those pipes off and cuff you," he told her, glaring into her eyes. "If you do anything to put any of those kids out there in danger, I will kill you."

X-23 stared back into his eyes for a moment, before looking down and nodding. "Fine. I do not wish to put others in danger, merely to kill you. Do what you have to now. It will make no difference later."

Logan popped his claws and sliced through the pipes holding the girl's arms captive. Taking the handcuffs, he pulled her arms behind her back and snapped the cuffs into place. He did the same with the leg-irons, which gave her enough room to walk, but not to run or kick.

He stood up to address the students. "Right, Cyke, have you told 'em all what happened?"

Scott nodded. "Yeah. I even got to Jean…" he looked down. "You know."

"Yeah, I know," said Logan. "You go organize the funeral, all right? I gotta talk about the mini-me, here."

"Sure, of course," Scott said, starting to leave. Then he glanced back at Logan and cracked a half-smile. "When this is over, I go back to giving the orders. Got that?"

Logan spread his arms. "Fine, ya big Eagle Scout. Now, will you let me talk?" He turned back to the students as Scott left the Danger Room, quietly chuckling.

Taking the holographic podium from Ororo, he thought for a moment, before gesturing to X-23 on a chair behind him. "This is my clone, kids," he said. "Her name's X-23 and she wants to kill me, so she'll be staying here for a while."

…

TBC

Please review.

-Paradox


	4. Chapter 4

AN: So, I did the math, and if I only post one chapter a week, there is no way that my Christmas chapters will be out by Christmas. So, I'll probably post twice every other week.

Chapter Four

If You Need me, I'll be Pining Away in a Dungeon

…

X-23 snapped and snarled. The sound echoed around the vast, empty Danger Room, but did not impress the person it was aimed at.

"The Wolverine can't cut through my skin," said Peter Rasputin. "What makes you think you would be able to bite through it?"

The steel-skinned young man had been placed on guard duty for the next few hours. After him, it would be Kitty Pryde, then Rockslide, then Mercury. Basically, anyone who was difficult to actually hurt had been placed on guard duty.

"I am not trying to bite you!" X-23 said from the solid holographic cell she was imprisoned in. "I am testing the strength of these bars. Apparently, my progenitor programmed them to mimic carbonadium, the only substance that adamantium has a hard time cutting through."

"And you are telling me this, why?" Peter, or Colossus, asked. "I'm not going to let you out."

"I am telling you because you have a choice," the girl hissed vituperatively. "You may let me out of your own accord, or when I do get out, your sister will die."

Despite the smooth silver of his metal skin, Colossus paled. "I have no sister," he muttered.

X-23 laughed mirthlessly. "I can smell her on you," she said. "She is younger, yes? You are both from Russia. Your accent comes to the surface, no matter how you try to hide it. I have your scent, I have her scent." She leaned in close to the bars near Peter. "Let me out, or when I get out on my own, I will kill her slowly."

Peter slowly got out of his chair and reached for the Danger Room remote controls. Picking them up, he twisted a dial and spoke. "Colossus here," he said. "I've been compromised. Please, send in Shadowcat."

Putting the remote down, he saluted to X-23. "Sorry," he said. "I can't let you out. I hope that you're nicer to Kitty. She doesn't have anyone you can threaten."

Turning, he walked to the door, which opened before he got there, revealing Kitty Pryde dressed in her black leather X-Men training uniform. The two teens nodded to each other, before Peter left. Once he was gone, Kitty closed the door and walked slowly towards the sullen clone in a cage on the other side of the room.

"Hey, there," she said, trying to be cheerful. "I'm called Shadowcat in the X-Men program. I, uh…" She cleared her throat. "I chose it when I was younger. My real name's Katherine Pryde, but most people call me Kitty. What's your name?" By this time she had reached the cage and was standing directly in front of it.

"You heard my name in the briefing that Weapon X gave on me," the girl said. "X-23 is my designation. It is the only name I have."

"X-23, huh?" asked Kitty, sitting down in the single folding chair provided. She grimaced at how hard it was, and then picked up the Danger Room controls and turned it into a fluffy armchair. Seriously, Peter was awesome, but he had no feeling when he was armored up.

"That's better," she said, before remembering the other girl. "So, 'X-23'? That's way too 'Star Trek'. Why don't you choose a name you like? Maybe 'Trudy'?"

"What is 'Star Trek'?" X-23 asked. "And why would I need a name? X-23 tells me who I am and reminds me of my self-appointed mission- to kill Weapon X!"

"Tell you what," said Kitty, "you're kinda freaking me out with the whole 'Kill Weapon X' thingy, so I'm gonna concentrate on the question. They didn't show you Star Trek in that facility you were stuck in?"

X-23 shook her head. "I was only given the knowledge needed for my missions, such as assassinating certain politicians."

"Did you ever…kill anyone?" Kitty asked, wary of the answer. She was relieved when X-23 shook her head.

"No," she said. "My training never got far enough. There was a running session to see if I could surprise and destroy Weapons XI and XII, but it ended when Weapon XI escaped and the Mastermind serum was discovered."

"Oh," Kitty had run out of things to say. "Um… You know what? I'll show you what Star Trek is." Fiddling with the remote, she turned on the comm. system. "Holodeck to bridge, this is the nonthreatening Shadowcat."

"Kitty, stop goofing off," said Cyclops' voice over the line. "What is it? I'm assuming that you're okay?"

"Yeah," Kitty said. "I just wanted permission to use the Danger Room as a screening room. X-23's never seen Star Trek, and I wanted to show her."

Cyclops laughed. "All right, just be careful. Don't let her out of there. Cyclops out."

"Shadowcat, over and out," said Kitty, beginning to fiddle with the controls again. A screen rose out of the floor and switched on, just as a knock sounded at the door.

"Come on in!" Kitty called "Everything's fine in here!"

The 'X'-shaped door slid open and about a half-dozen teenage mutants fell through from where they had been leaning on it. "Did I hear someone say 'Star Trek'?" asked a gold-skinned boy from the top of the pile.

"Ye most certainly did," said a girl with pointed ears and a Scottish burr. "They were goin' tae watch it without us!"

"Oh boy," said Kitty. "X-23, I'd like to introduce the X-Men wannabes known to all and sundry- mostly sundry- as the New Mutants!"

…

TBC

AN: Yeah. Needed me some New Mutants. They're not an official team in this, but are more of an unofficial club of kids who want to join the X-Men program.

Please review.

-Paradox


	5. Chapter 5

AN: This chapter is my least favorite so far. The only important part is the last few sentences, actually. Well, everyone says that I'm the harshest judge of my own work. Maybe you all will enjoy it, dear readers.

Chapter Five

Don't Mess it Up

…

The assembled New Mutants slowly got up, with some slight groaning and cursing. Kitty watched them disapprovingly.

"What were you doing out there?" she asked. "Were you eavesdropping?"

"That would be Self's fault, Self/Friend Shadowcat," said a voice from across the room. Everyone's heads turned to see a small, round, spiky object sitting on the floor in a corner.

"What is that?" asked X-23. "It looks like a head."

"It is a head," one of the New Mutants- a skinny, blond boy- said. "Hello, my name's Doug Ramsey, codenamed Cypher. That's Warlock, who was built for me by Forge."

"Self hopes that Self/Friend Forge will one day build Self a body," Warlock said, as Doug went over and picked it up. "Self would heart that!"

Doug's head whipped around and he glared at the others. "Who taught Warlock about emoticons?"

All eyes went to a tall, South American boy. "What?" he asked. "I get blamed for everything?"

"When it's your fault, yes," cut in a regal looking blonde girl in a white dress. "Katherine," she addressed Kitty as though she were doing her a favor, "would you be so kind as to introduce us to the new student?"

"I'm not so sure that X-23 counts as a student," Kitty said. "Anyway, you know that I can't tell her your codenames," she glared at Doug, "or powers until she's cleared to get out of here, right? That means no using them, either."

There was a collective groan from the teenagers. "Fine," said a Native American girl, who appeared to be the oldest. "Go ahead then."

"All right, then!" said Kitty, clapping her hands together. "This isn't all of the New Mutants, but that," she pointed to the gold-skinned boy, "is Josh Foley. That," the blonde, "Is Amara Aquila-"

"Princess of Nova Roma," Amara interrupted. "I only consort with these _peasants," _she glanced at the pointy-eared Scot, "because my friend, Danielle Moonstar does."

"You can call me Dani," the Native American girl said. "I'm sort of the unofficial leader of the New Mutants. But, we're having our first election next week, if you're out of here by then."

"I will have completed my mission and be long gone by then," X-23 said primly. "The Weapon X program is destroyed and I may do what I like."

The Brazilian boy raised an eyebrow. "What's your missi-"

"Don't ask," Kitty said. "She waxes poetic about maiming people." Turning back to X-23, she gave a disapproving look. "You're never gonna get out of here like that. Anyway, this guy," she nudged the boy, "is Roberto DaCosta. He can be annoying."

"I am not!" Roberto protested, turning to the last unnamed member. "Tell 'em, Talbot!"

"What I can tell ye," the girl growled, "is that if ye call me 'Talbot' or 'Lon Chaney' ever again, you'll regret it!" Coming right up to the cage, she sniffed X-23 and smiled. "I think I like you," she said. "Ye smell like Wolverine; sort o' wild and metallic at the same time. Are ye his daughter?"

"No," said X-23. "I am Weapon X's twenty-third clone. All the others were considered defective and destroyed."

"O-o-okay…" the girl's face fell. "Well, I'm Rahne Sinclair. I thought that Mr. Logan was jokin' about ye being his clone, but I guess not."

"Are we gonna watch Star Trek or what?" Roberto broke in.

"Sure, fine," said Kitty. "Which series would be better for X-23 to learn about first?"

There was a chorus of varying answers, but they eventually decided to watch from the very beginning. A few episodes later, Rahne heard the Danger Room door open and close. A little while after that, Kitty turned around to explain something to X-23 and gasped.

Everyone started up, for where X-23 had been imprisoned, the solid holograph cage had disappeared, and the only thing left was a pair of handcuffs that had been cleanly sliced through.

"She's gone!" Roberto observed.

…

TBC

AN: Sorry for mixing eras of the New Mutants. I promise you that it will get worse as we go on. The movies are guilty of this anyway. Making Iceman a student and putting Blob on Team X. So, all you comic purists, don't judge me.

Please review.

To Serve and Protect,

Paradox.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Band of Brothers (Kinda)

…

_En route to Genosha_

Magneto did not talk to John- or Pyro as he was sometimes known- for the entire helicopter ride. He had a dark expression on his face, like a man who has seen true evil. Many hours later, he stirred and pointed out of the window to a small island.

"That is our destination," he told John. "It is the island of Genosha; a stronghold where my noble Brotherhood of Mutants can rest, while we plan our efforts to free our kind."

John nodded. "That's pretty cool," he said. "When do we get to fight?"

Raising an eyebrow, Magneto turned away from the window as Mystique began to land the helicopter. "Fight?" he asked. "Is that why you joined the Brotherhood? If I were you, I would think long and hard about my aims." Getting up, he wrapped his cape around himself and left the now landed vehicle.

John followed him, and was immediately knocked to the ground by a silver blur. The blur stopped to hold him down and coalesced in a silver-haired man, who appeared, oddly, to only be in his twenties. He wore a leather jumpsuit, similar to the X-men, but with silver lightning bolts painted on the shoulders, as well as a pair of silver goggles to protect his eyes.

"Who's this guy, dad?" he asked ridiculously fast. He appeared to be addressing…Magneto? John shivered at the thought of Magneto having kids. "You want me to get rid of him?"

"No, Quicksilver," Magneto said, holding up a hand. "Pyro has come to join us. Would you be so kind as to give him a tour of Genosha? At _normal _speed," he warned, as Quicksilver reached for John's lapels. "We don't want him to get whiplash on his first day, now do we?" Turning, he left with Mystique.

"No, I guess not," Quicksilver sulked. "Can't I at least-"

"Peter!" a voice interrupted. "I was talking! You can't just use your power like that!"

Pyro turned his head from where Quicksilver still had him pinned to see a pretty, brunette woman standing at the door of the helipad. He couldn't help but flinch at the amount of _red_ that she was wearing. She had on a red dress with red boots, gloves, and tights. The whole thing was topped off with a red headband.

"Are you harassing new members again?" she asked Quicksilver. "Remember what Exodus did when you did that?"

"He left," Quicksilver muttered, letting Pyro up. "Sorry, man. You just can't be too careful around here, you know?"

"Uh, sure," said Pyro, turning to the brunette. "Hey, thanks for rescuing me."

"No problem," she said. "I'm the Scarlet Witch, but you can call me Wanda. Sorry about my brother. He's an idiot."

Quicksilver appeared next to Wanda in a blur of motion. "Someone's an idiot, but it's not me, little sis!" He leaned on her shoulder. "She's so funny, isn't she?"

"We're twins, Peter!" Wanda said, pushing his hand off of her shoulder. "Neither of us is younger!" Quicksilver, or Peter, apparently, began running in circles around Wanda. She smiled and a sphere of pinkish energy formed itself around her hand. She stuck it into the circle Peter was describing and he ran into it. A second later, he was flat on the ground.

"Dang it, Wanda!" he said. "You can't just do that! It's rude!"

"It's rude to use your power to annoy people," she said. Then she turned to John. "So, what's your power?" she asked. "And, your name, of course. What's your name?"

"Yeah, my name's Pyro. Well, John Allerdyce, but it's Pyro. And I can control fire," John said, smirking. "But, um," he looked down. "I can't create it."

"Dude, sucks for you," Peter said, juggling a Zippo lighter. "If someone takes your lighter or something, you're toast."

"Yeah, I know," Pyro said. "That's why I- Hey, wait!" He checked his pocket. No lighter. "Give that back!" He made a grab for it, but Quicksilver was suddenly behind him, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Too slow!" he said. "And the mighty Quicksilver does it again! Can no one catch him? No! For he is-" At that point, he was hit by another of the Scarlet Witch's energy spheres. "Ow! Will ya quit hexing me?"

"Give Pyro back his lighter," Wanda said, another sphere forming around her left hand. "Or do you want a third hex bolt? Third's always the nastiest!"

"Eesh, fine," Peter said, as the lighter practically materialized in Pyro's hand. "I'm supposed to give him a tour of HQ. You wanna come?"

"Sure," she said. "Someone has to make sure you don't rob him blind and give him to Wade for 'conversation'." She shivered. "Like you did with Exodus."

"He was a pansy, anyway!" Peter protested. "C'mon! Let's go! This is boring!"

Wanda shook her head and, gesturing for John to follow her, entered the building.

Inside, a short corridor led to another door, which, when opened, revealed a sort of training room in which a tall, hairy man was severely abusing an innocent punching bag. In the corner, a lanky, green man crouched, sharpening a knife.

"What happens to a toad when it's struck by lightning?" he muttered. "Same thing that happens to everything else, eh? I'll show her what happens when lightning gets struck by a Toad! Stupid, filthy platinum-haired-"

"Give it a rest, Toynbee!" the hairy guy snarled. "Yer throwin' me off my game, here! I'm gonna kill that runt if it's the last thing I do!"

"Ah, the mighty Brotherhood of Mutants!" announced Wanda, sarcastically. "To the untrained eye, this noble group may seem like a mass of infighting and personal squabbles, but in truth, that's exactly what it is."

"Really?" asked Pyro. "I thought that you- that _we_ were freedom fighters; the only real threat to the Human Empire."

"Do Sabretooth and Toad down there look like serious freedom fighters?" Quicksilver asked. "Ever since last year, Toad's had it out for that X-chick, Storm. And Sabes? He's hated Wolverine since who knows when with no explanation."

"What?"

Peter repeated his statement at a slower pace, and John considered it for a while as he was shown the kitchen. "So, the Brotherhood are really no better than the X-Men?" he asked. This elicited a mock-shocked gasp from Peter and a chuckle from the Scarlet Witch.

"We like to think that, between being idiots, we actually do some good for mutantkind," she said. "The X-Men, on the other hand, just block our efforts, and actually empower Humans in their quest to destroy us utterly."

"So, Xavier's just as stupid as I thought," Pyro said. "Peaceful co-whatever is impossible. They hate us too much."

"Well," said Wanda, looking uneasy, "dad won't let anyone say anything bad about the Professor. His dream is obviously unrealistic, but don't call him stupid or anything. No personal attacks."

"I think that dad considers Professor X to be his only friend," Quicksilver agreed.

"Anyway, ready to continue the tour?" Wanda asked. "We'll show you the War Room and the gardens next."

John nodded, and the trio continued on their way. "What did I get myself into?" he muttered. "This place is freakin' weird."

Someone in red leather dropped down from the ceiling and landed next to John. "I agree with ya there, Skippy!" he said.

"Gah! Who are you?" Pyro gasped.

"Name's Deadpool!" the heavily armed man said. "I am only the coolest guy in the world! Maybe you've heard of me?" He got up really close to John's face, the white lenses on his mask making it impossible to see where he was looking.

"Nope, sorry," John said, backing up and firmly grasping his lighter. "I haven't heard of many famous Mutants, though. Especially not ones on Magneto's- Hey, wait." A thought had occurred to Pyro. "Where were all you guys when Magneto was in prison? Or when we were at Alkali Lake? What were you all doing?"

"Eating chimichangas," said Deadpool, pulling out a knife and toying with it. "Chimichangas are your friend!"

Scarlet Witch's hands lit up red and she zapped him slightly. "Get your bad breath out of here, Wade," she said. Turning to John, she powered down. "None of us were informed when Magneto was in prison," she explained. "Peter and I can't exactly be notified, since we're considered terrorists, and Sabretooth and Toad were left here to recover.

"We were told to gather here by Legion," she continued, "who was contacted by Mystique just after she broke my Dad out of prison. There wasn't really time to get to Canada. You get it?"

"Yeah, I get you," Pyro said, flicking his lighter open and closed. "So, you mentioned a War Room?"

…

TBC

AN: Yes, I made Genosha into the Brotherhood's tiny little island from X1. Is that bad? That seemed to be where they lived, and I don't see it used very often in fan-fic. I needed a name, and lo and behold- in the comics and in Wolverine and the X-Men (WatXM), Magneto ruled an island called Genosha. Works for me.

I also moved the Days of Future Past version of Quicksilver forward a few decades.

Please review.

-Paradox


	7. Chapter 7

AN: No reviews? Oh, well. No-one likes the Brotherhood. Here's another chapter.

Chapter Seven

Ring Ye the Alarum-Bell!

…

_Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters_

"Oh, by Jupiter!" panicked Amara. "What in Tartarus do we do? She escaped!"

Kitty picked up the comm. unit and called Professor Xavier's office. "Professor X?" she said, "this is Shadowcat. I'm afraid that I have bad news. X-23 has escaped. No, sir. No-one's hurt. We were watching a movie. It's my fault, I'm sorry!" She began to panic slightly. "I don't know what to do!"

A few moments later, the doors opened, and Bobby Drake, or Iceman, and Ororo Munroe, or Storm entered. "When was X-23 last seen?" Ororo asked. "Wolfsbane, could you track her?"

Rahne shuffled her feet. "I suppose I could try," she said. "I have nae done this very often, ye ken." Fur grew on her arms and face as her bones changed shape, until at last, she had transformed into a wolf. Sniffing around the discarded handcuffs, she caught X-23's scent. Howling, she raced off in hot pursuit.

"Iceman, Shadowcat, you go after her," Ororo ordered. "I'm going to tell Colossus so that he can protect Ilyanna. Someone, find Logan."

"On it, teach'," Bobby said, a thin coating of frost already forming on his hands. "I think this kid needs to chill for a while."

Kitty gave Iceman a whack on the head, and the two of them raced off after Wolfsbane.

…

Rogue was walking past the computer lab when she heard it. Loud cursing in German. Considering that there was only one German in the school currently- Kurt Wagner- Rogue thought that he might be having trouble with the computer, so she decided to help.

Walking into the dark computer lab, Rogue saw the eerie-looking mutant staring helplessly at the screen, which had a word processor up, with a hopeless look in his eyes.

"Need help?" she asked in her Mississippi drawl. "Ah'm not too good with computers, but I could try and find someone who is."

_"Nein," _Kurt said despairingly. "It _ist _not something you could help me with, unless you could go back to before I was born _und _make me normal."

"Ya are normal," Rogue protested uneasily. "Professor Xavier always tells us that, no matter how we look, it's how we feel inside that counts. You feel human, right?"

"Ach, yes, I do feel human on the inside," Kurt said, turning to look at her, "but I look at my tail, my blue skin, and my hands… I do not look human on the outside, Rogue," he half-smiled, like he was trying to see the funny side of the whole thing. "In this case, it _ist _my hands that are the problem. My fingers, they are the wrong shape to use the keyboard."

"What do ya need it for?" asked Rogue, coming over to look at the problem. It was true; Kurt's tridactyl hands had fingers too large to hit the keys. Every time he tried to hit one, he hit the ones on either side of it as well, creating gibberish.

"I am trying to write a letter back home to the Munich Circus," he explained. "My fiancée, Amanda Sefton, will be very worried about me, considering that I was seen trying to assassinate your president."

"You have a fiancée?" Rogue asked, rather tactlessly. After a moment, however, she gathered her southern sensibilities. "Well, sure. Ah mean, why not? Anyway, no one blames ya for tryin' to kill the president. It was that Mastermind stuff, right?"

_"Ja, _it was," said Kurt. "But it was on the news, and Amanda would probably have seen it. I made no attempt to hide, since the point was that an obvious mutant be seen trying to kill the president. I have to explain myself, but I cannot type on this machine!"

"Here," Rogue said, taking Kurt's arm. She led him to a slightly larger computer in the back of the room, with a big, rubbery keypad. "This is one of the computers for students with different hands. Ya should be able to type no problem on this."

_"Dankeschoen, mein freund!" _said Kurt, as he sat down at the device. "It is just like my computer at home!"

"If y'all had had the lights on, ya might'a seen it!" laughed Rogue. "Why'd ya have them off, anyway?"

"I feel comfortable in the dark," Kurt explained. "It _ist _part of how I earned my stage name- the Incredible Nightcrawler!"

Just then, all of the computers went dark, leaving Rogue and Kurt in absolute blackness.

"Well, then," Rogue said shakily, "looks like you're gonna feel real comfortable right about now."

…

Peter Rasputin was reading to his eight-year-old sister, Illyana, when all of the lights went out.

"What is happening, Piotr?" asked Illyana in broken English. She and her brother always spoke English, even when alone, so as to practice. However, the young girl sometimes had trouble remembering words.

"I'm not sure," Peter said. "Let me go see if anyone knows." Putting the book down on the bed, he got up and walked to the door. The dark hallway was empty. Nervous, Peter slipped into his steel form without even noticing. "Hello?" he called. "Is anyone there?"

Footsteps echoed down the hall, and Peter felt the air shift. He walked slowly towards the source of the noise. At a corner, he paused for a moment before raising an arm to strike and jumping around the corner.

Storm gasped and pressed a hand to her heart as Peter lowered his arm, feeling silly. "You scared me, Colossus!" she said, breathlessly.

"Sorry, Ms. Munroe," he said. "And, um, you can call me Peter. I'm not on duty."

"Sorry," said Ororo, putting a hand on Peter's shoulder and walking towards Illyana's room. "It's a habit. Are you and Illyana all right?"

"Yeah, we're fine," Peter said. However, as if the universe wanted to contradict something, a scream echoed down the hall from Illyana's room. Peter, still in his steel form, broke into a run, closely followed by Storm.

The two entered the dark room to see that Illyana had turned on a flashlight at some point. It had fallen on the bed, and by its light, Colossus and Storm could see Illyana being held against the wall by X-23. Colossus stepped forward to take hold of the attacker, but was stopped as she popped her right claws and held them to Illyana's throat.

"Take one more step and she dies!" X-23 hissed. "I told you this would happen! Now, where is Weapon X?"

…

TBC

AN: This happened. This is a cliffhanger, right? Haha!

Please review.

-Paradox


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

In the Dark

…

Rogue and Kurt Wagner were looking around the computer lab for a fuse box when they heard the scream.

_"Was ist das?"_ asked Kurt, his ears pricking. "It sounded like it came from upstairs!" Grabbing Rogue, he teleported the two of them to the top of the stairs and began to run down the hall, dragging the girl by one gloved hand.

"Hey, slow down!" Rogue said, pulling her hand from the Incredible Nightcrawler's tridactyl one. "Ah can't see in the dark like you can, bright eyes!"

"Ach, I am sorry," Kurt said. "Er, if it is not too bold, would you permit me to give you that ability, at least until the lights are back on?"

"Well…" Rogue hesitated. Taking someone's power wasn't very fun for her, either. She gained a permanent copy of the personality of her victim in her head. She still had a fondness for poker from Wolverine, and could probably draw you a street map of Warsaw from her Magneto. She didn't know what taking on Kurt's memories would do to her. "All right," she said hesitantly, "but just a tap."

Taking off a glove, she lightly brushed Nightcrawler's wrist and felt a flood of memory. Before it could become clear, she jerked her hand back and put the glove back on. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, they were glowing gold.

"_Was ist_ happening?" she asked, her southern drawl replaced with Kurt's German accent. _"Mein _voice?" She picked out a strand from the white streak in her hair. Though it was dark, she could tell it had turned a bluish color. "I hope this ain't permanent," she said, her voice settling back into its normal patterns. "Let's go!"

The duo raced down the hall, where they found Storm and Colossus standing at a door with Wolfsbane, Shadowcat, and Iceman nearby. Wolfsbane, or Rahne, was sitting on the floor muttering about how she should have been faster. Shadowcat was trying to comfort her, and Iceman's entire body was covered in frost. When he saw Rogue's glowing eyes, he opened his mouth, but shut it a second later and just nodded at her.

"What is the matter?" Kurt asked, and Storm wordlessly stepped aside to let him see. Inside the room, X-23 was holding Colossus' younger sister, Illyana, with her claws to the girl's throat. When she saw Nightcrawler, she hissed at him.

"You are not Wolverine!" she spat. "Bring me Weapon X now, or I'll kill her!" Sheathing her claws for the moment, she sat down on the bed next to the frightened eight-year-old. "I cannot wait to see him at my feet."

Kurt pulled back from the door and crossed himself. _"Gott im Himmel _preserve us!" he said, turning to Storm. "Is there a plan?"

Storm shook her head. "No. None of us have the capability to get X-23 away from Illyana, and Logan's in town and not answering his phone."

Rogue cursed under her breath in German and Kurt shot her a look. "There is no need for that," he said.

"Sorry," Rogue apologized automatically. "Um, maybe Ah could try an' talk to her? She might at least talk to me."

"No, you don't!" Iceman said. "You heard what she said. If Wolverine isn't the next person to enter that room, she'll kill Illyana- or you!"

"What do ya think, Peter?" Rogue asked Colossus. "Illyana's your sister. You decide what should be done."

Peter took a deep breath and thought for a while, fist pressed against his forehead and looking for all the world like a statue. After a long moment, he took another deep breath and nodded his head. _"Da," _he said. "I like Rogue's plan. She's spent a lot of time around Wolverine, so X-23 will probably smell him on her. Rogue can be his unofficial ambassador."

"I still don't like sending Rogue in," Iceman muttered. However, everyone ignored him in the scramble to get everything ready.

So as to not anger the temperamental clone, they cleared the hall. Storm then had Nightcrawler teleport down to the equipment locker and bring back Rogue's X-Men training uniform and communication earpiece. That done, Rogue ducked into a room to change while the others discussed what they should say to X-23.

…

Exactly twenty minutes later (which felt much too long to Peter), Rogue was walking down the hallway. When she reached the door, which X-23 had shut, she reached out a hand and knocked tentatively.

"Weapon X does not knock like that!" a voice echoed from within. "Do I have to keep my promise?"

"No!" Rogue shouted, losing control for a second. Quickly regaining herself, she cleared her throat. "We can't find Logan. Ah'm here as a temporary ambassador, if that's all right."

The sound of snuffling came from the other side of the door, then X-23's voice. "No one is acceptable as an ambassador. I will stay here all night until Weapon X arrives, if I must."

"Ah know how ya feel," Rogue said suddenly. "You feel uneasy around here, right? Like no one trusts ya? Believe me; holdin' a kid hostage ain't gonna help how ya feel."

"Do not presume to know my mind," X-23 said. "Mental tricks do not work on me! I was trained by the best."

"And the best got taken out by the X-Men, right?" asked Rogue. "That means we must be the best." She rested her forehead against the door. "Ah really do know how ya feel, actually. Everyone looks at ya like you're a weapon that's about to go off. Ya ain't even sure that ya can trust yourself. Because, if nobody else does, then how can you?"

"I will not confirm or deny your statements," said X-23 flatly from behind the door. "Besides, Weapon X is still out there. It is his fault that I am the way I am."

"He didn't know ya existed," Rogue protested. "If he had, he wouldn't have rested until he got ya safe. That's what he's like. He pretends to be the big, bad Wolverine, but he really cares about people."

The door opened and revealed X-23 standing with her claws out. "What would you know about it?" she asked. "How would you know what he is like?"

Rogues hand flew to her earpiece. "She's away from the kid!"

The next second, there were two _'bamf'_s in quick succession as Nightcrawler teleported in, grabbed Illyana off of the bed, and left as quickly as he came. X-23 let out a howl of rage and leapt at Rogue. There was the _'shriing' _of metal on metal as X-23's claws met the steel skin Rogue had borrowed from Colossus.

Grabbing the angry clone, Rogue apologized once and then knocked her out with a blow to the temple. Letting X-23 slump to the floor, Rogue changed from metal to flesh and stared sadly at the prone form. Stepping aside, she allowed Peter to lift the girl and carry her back to the Danger Room.

…

TBC

AN: Um, so, I've figured out what this story is, and the title's sort of misleading. There are going to be a lot of character pieces, fitting into a loose story. It's sort of my first attempt at writing something very long and all in order. I have an idea for something else once this is finished. But for now, be ready for a very long, slightly disjointed ride.

Please review.

To serve and protect,

-Paradox


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Submission

…

_Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters_

X-23 woke up, back in her cage, with an enormous headache. Pressing a hand to her temple, she groaned in disappointment before noticing the familiar streak of white hair outside of her cage.

She flung herself against the bars and snarled, making Rogue draw back nervously. "Ah'm sorry that we tricked ya," Rogue said, "but we couldn't let ya keep threatenin' a little kid. It ain't right."

"Right?" hissed X-23. "You had no right to interfere! I wanted Weapon X! I will get out again. I swear it!"

Rogue shook her head. "We had to do somethin'. Ya can't just do stuff like that." She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Ah, um, Ah'm ready to answer your question now."

"What question?" X-23 asked.

"The one ya asked last night," Rogue explained. "About how I knew what Logan's like. Do ya still wanna hear my answer?"

"It is of little importance," X-23 said dismissively. "I do not care either way."

"All right," said Rogue. "Ah tried talkin' to ya, but ya won't listen." Turning on her heel, the young mutant walked to the Danger Room doors. "I guess ya get your wish."

The X-shaped doors opened, revealing the Wolverine. He took one look at Rogue's face and shook his head. "She won't listen to reason?"

"Ah can't do anything with her," Rogue said hesitantly, shoving the Danger Room controls at him. "It looks like it's…it's your turn, Logan." With that, she left the room, closing the doors behind her. And locking them.

Logan stepped into the room and turned X-23's cage off. "I gave orders to leave us alone," he said. "Ain't no one gonna bother us. You still wanna kill me?"

There were two audible _'snikt'_s of X-23 unsheathing her claws. "Always, Weapon X," she said, baring her teeth in a feral grin.

Logan bared his teeth in return and popped his claws. "You wanted a Weapon," he said, "but now yer gonna have to tangle with a Wolverine!"

Outside, Rogue flinched at a high-pitched animalistic yowl, followed by a deep feral snarl of anger. The sounds of metal clashing and growling grew too much for her, and she ran off to look for her boyfriend, Bobby.

Running towards the elevator, she ran into a girl in a yellow sweater, who grabbed her. "Whoa, there, chica!" said the girl, whom Rogue recognized as Kitty Pryde's friend Jubilee. "What's going on?"

"Nothing!" said Rogue, pulling away and walking in the opposite direction. "Never you mind!"

There was a whistling noise and a small, bright explosion. When Rogue's vision cleared, she saw Jubilee standing, hands on hips, directly in her path. "I was talkin' to you," she said. "What's going on down there?"

"L-Logan's fightin' X-23," Rogue stammered. "Ah didn't think he was really goin' to do that! She might hurt him!"

"Who? Wolvie?" asked Jubilee, laughing. "Have you read th' specs on that guy? It would take a nuke ta even slow him down!"

"Ah'm not sure y'all get it," Rogue said, clenching her gloved fists. "X-23 has the same healin' factor and no mercy. Logan's gonna go easy on her 'cause she's half outta her mind, but she'll kill him! Get outta my way! Ah gotta find Bobby!"

Jubilee looked distinctly unimpressed. "Bobby?" she asked. "You mean, Iceman? What's he gonna do? Throw icicles at them?"

"He can do more than you!" Rogue retorted. "Now, let me pass or the gloves come off!"

"Fine, sure," Jubilee said completely unconcernedly as she stepped aside. "Go find your boyfriend." She watched Rogue run off into the elevator, before heading to the equipment locker.

…

Rogue returned with Iceman reluctantly in tow about an hour later, to find Jubilee in an X-Men uniform and a yellow raincoat, leaning against the Danger Room doors. Jubilee blew a pink chewing-gum bubble at the couple and popped it.

"I'm an X-Men trainee too, ya know," she said, running a hand through her spiky black hair. "Wolvie gave a direct order not to be bothered! Anyone wants to get through there is gonna get some 'splosion medicine ta suck on!"

Blue frost crept up the back of Bobby's neck. "She's right, Rogue," he said, putting an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder. "Maybe we should leave them alone. What if we accidentally let X-23 out when we open the door?"

"No!" Rogue said, slipping away from Bobby. "We have to help him! Can't y'all hear 'em in there? They're tearin' each other to-"

"They are not!" Jubilee interrupted. "I wasn't sure either, so I got some professional advice." She turned to a nearby locker. "Wolfsbane, come on out and tell these dweeb-a-zoids what's goin' on in the ring!"

The locker opened and Rahne sheepishly stuck her head out. "Sorry for eavesdropping, Rogue, Bobby," she said. "Jubes told me that it would be a great surprise, but it doesnae look that way, huh?"

"It's fine, Rahne," Bobby said. "We all know that Jubilee has a little flair for the dramatic." The last was said with a glance towards Jubilee herself, who had the grace to look slightly ashamed before popping another gum bubble. "So, what are you a professional on?"

"Nothing, really," Rahne said, scuffing a toe on the floor. "But Jubes asked what was goin' on in there, and I told her what makes sense tae me."

"And, what makes sense to you?" asked Bobby. "Why is Wolverine letting his sort-of clone get a crack at him?"

"Well, ye see- wait!" Rahne's pointed ears elongated slightly. "Ye hear that?"

"Hear what?" Rogue asked. "There's nothin' to hear."

"Exactly!" confirmed Rahne. "There's nothing at all. They're done fightin'!"

Everyone pressed their ears to the Danger Room doors. From inside, they could only hear low whimpering and snarling. Then they all jumped back as something banged on the door.

"You still out there, kid?" Logan's voice echoed from inside. "You can let us out now. X ain't gonna be a problem anymore, are ya, X?"

They couldn't hear X-23's answer, but assumed it was in the affirmative because Logan laughed at it.

"You see?" he said. "Let us on out."

Rogue jumped at the door controls, eager to make sure that her father-figure was all right. However, when the door opened, she wished she wasn't standing so close, and Rahne whined and covered her nose.

Jubilee gagged and swallowed her gum. "Gah! Wolvie!" she said. "What the hell is that stench?"

Logan stood in the door looking annoyed, his X-Men uniform in tatters. "I'll clean the Danger Room later," he said. "Right now, I gotta get X cleaned up. Give her your coat, firecracker."

"What- why?" complained Jubilee, pulling her banana-colored coat closer around herself. "What's the matter with what she's- oh."

X-23 had stepped into view, and her clothes were more tattered than Logan's. Jubilee pulled her raincoat off and wrapped it around the girl, who nodded to her before glancing at Logan.

"I will follow your scent to your quarters and clean myself," she said. "Is this right?" Logan nodded at her and she set off to the elevator.

"What happened in there?" Rogue asked.

"We fought for a while, and I was better than her," Logan said. "We fought like animals, and now she recognizes me as leader." He set off towards the mens' locker room. "I gotta change. I'm sure Wolfsbane can explain the whole thing."

Once he had left, Rogue, Bobby, and Jubilee looked at Rahne, who was casually trying to stuff herself back into the equipment locker.

"Rahne, what did Wolvie mean, you can explain?" Jubilee asked, hands on hips. "Get out of that locker and tell us!"

Rahne slipped out of the locker and sat on the floor. "I dinnae want tae talk about it," she said. "I dinnae like any of it."

"Any of what?" asked Bobby. "What are you and Wolverine talking about?"

Rahne sighed and scratched her ear. "Fine," she said. "But ye better not laugh. It's nae funny to me, and probably not to the Wolverine, either, ye ken?"

"Yeah, sure," Jubilee said, sitting down. "We ken, all right. So, why is X-23 all 'yes, master' now?"

"Well, mutants like me, an' the Wolverine, an' X-23 as well have a lot more in common with animals than most people," Wolfsbane explained. "We're called 'ferals', and sometimes, we have trouble controllin' our instincts. What the Wolverine did in there, was he fought X-23 until she acknowledged that he was in charge."

"So, what about the smell?" asked Rogue, waving her hand in the direction of the now-sealed Danger Room doors. "It didn't smell like that when they went in there."

"That's a wee bit embarrassing," Rahne admitted. "That's sweat. Feral sweat smells really strong. Also, the Wolverine was probably a bit out o' his mind and he may have…claimed the Danger Room so that X-23 could understand."

"Eew, gross!" said Jubilee, standing up. "I went in there to give X-23 my coat!"

"It's probably not that bad!" Rahne protested. "He couldn't help it, an' he's goin' tae fix it! Leave the poor man alone!"

"It's fine, Wolfsbane," Logan said. Everyone turned their heads to see him standing in the locker-room doorway, his hair wet and he dressed in his usual jeans and plaid shirt. "They won't get it. I'll just remember to use my claws next time, instead of stinkin' up the place." He gave a half-grin. "Still, I never have to use cologne, right?"

"That's nasty, Logan!" Rogue said, fanning her face. "You better clean that place up! Ah ain't trainin' in there until I can see my reflection in the floor!"

"Sure, I'll get right on it, kid," Logan said, shrugging. "Anyway, we can't leave X alone for too long. Who wants to go check on her?"

"I'll do it," Jubilee volunteered. "I need to get my coat back anyway. Plus, maybe she'll be nice now that she's not all 'kill things'!" Turning, she headed to the elevator. "I'm gonna go make a frie-end!" she said in a sing-song voice.

…

TBC

Please Review.

-Paradox


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